A Metairie man awaiting trial for killing an NOPD dispatcher after he drunkenly plowed into her car while driving the wrong way on the interstate pleaded guilty to charges of vehicular homicide on Friday (Mar. 21).

Instead of taking his chances at trial, Andrew Merchant, 28, told Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Judge Darryl Derbigny that he wished to plead guilty to the charges he faced. Derbigny sentenced Merchant to 7.5 years in prison, with credit for the time he has already served.

Merchant was booked on Sept. 20 on a charge of vehicular homicide after test results showed his blood alcohol level was 0.25 percent when he hit 51-year-old Paulette Brown as she was driving to work on Sept. 7 on I-610 westbound.

Police initially arrested Merchant on charges of driving while intoxicated, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and violation of one-way traffic. He was released on a $7,000 bond, but later re-booked when tests results showed his blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit of .08.

Police said the wreck took place about 10:30 p.m. as Brown was driving in the westbound lanes near St. Bernard Avenue when Merchant, who was driving a Jeep Wrangler the wrong way in the westbound lane, slammed head-on into the car Brown was driving and hit one other car as well.

Brown was rushed to LSU Interim Public Hospital where she was kept on life support for three days while her organs were donated.

The judge issued the sentence after hearing several impact statements from Brown's relatives and friends during the hearing.

A vehicular homicide conviction in the state of Louisiana carries anywhere from five to 30 years in prison. Under Louisiana law, Merchant must serve at least three years of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

Brown had worked as an NOPD dispatcher for the past 32 years. Friends and family called her a caring woman and said she was known for helping others.